The cripple and the shieldmaiden

// 4 //

Torhild was up early, but so was Kattegat. She walked through the great hall and sat besides her brother on the table. Her mother was nowhere to be found so she thought it would be a good moment to ask her brother after a couple of things. 'Were you here when mother killed Queen Aslaug?' She asked while waving her fingers through her lang brown hair. She switched the dress for her battlegear again, in the past years she was just to it.
'No, me and Hvitserk were with uncle Rollo.' He replied. Rollo? Torhild looked at him, trying to make out of it was a good or a bad visit. 'It went well, he gave uss passage.' Björn answered her expressions. She smiled and looked back to her morning drink, a little supriced that after all this time he still could read her like an open book.
'So she was defenseless?' She asked further. Björn stroke his hands over his almost bald head before he aswered again.
'Ubbe and Sigurd were here, not that they were much of a help, they were tricked by a girl.' Torhild grinned with those words. Men where so easy to seduce, it was there weakness. 'Why do you ask Torhild?' He asked after a little silence. Torhild shook her head slowly, staring in the distance, thinking about Ivar. She didn't get much sleep, his words kept her a little bussy during the night. She looked away from the wall to her mother who walked in with Astrid by her side. Astrid looked first at Björn before she turned to Torhild.
'Nice to have you finally back.' She said politly. Torhild didn't care much about Astrid, because she was involved with her mother. And by the looks of it with her brother to.
'Astrid.' She replied polite before pulling a distgusted face when the others weren't watching.£'What will you been doing today daughter?' Lagertha asked. Torhild looked up and took a quick look outside.
'Catching up with some friends. I want to know a little what happend the past two years.' She answered. Lagertha nodded and sat down on her throne.
'Tonight we will discuss the raids, join uss.'
'Absolutly.' Torhild nodded with a smile before standing up. It felt like she never left in the first place, everything she did was just normal, the talks were normal and it made her more confident to move on.

When she walked along the water she saw the brothers catching fish, or at least each other. Torhild stood still and looked with frown eyebrows towards the two of them running through the water. She didn't noticed Ivar who sat on his usual place. Hvitserk regconized her immidiatly and ran with his fish on a stick out the water towards her. 'Is this your usual routine when you're not raiding?' She asked with a smile while trying to avoid the fish.
'What are you usual doing in your spare time?' He asked with the same smile as yesterday. His eyes gazed again over her body and she felt almost flattered.
'Training.'
'Is that a challenge?' He asked immidiatly. Torhild grinned and tilted her head a little, lifting her shoulders.
'Maybe.' Her eyes fell on Ivar who was watching them both. Hvitserk followed her eyes and narrowed them a little, but he didn't get further on it.
'I missed you last night.' Hvitserk said while wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She had to admit, she loved his attention, his jokes.
'I can bet you missed me the whole damn two years.' She replied softly. Hvitserk his eyes got a little more intense and Torhild only watched him with some curiosity.
'When I was with a woman I only could think of you.'
'Oh really?' She laughed. He pulled her away from the waterside, out of sight from Ivar and Ubbe.
'Is that so hard to believe? Torhild, you're the most beautifull woman in Kattegat. And your a skilled fighter now, will you come on raids?' He asked. She started to blush by his words and looked down to the ground for a moment.
'I will be there tonight, to discuss the raids.' She looked up at him again, his face a lot closer by the tight grip he had over her shoulder. She never thought that she would have the same feelings for Hvitserk as when she left, but he proved her wrong. 'And I was talking with your brother last night. Not really talking, he is angry with me.' She said a little silent. Hvitserk bitted his lip and shook his head.
'He is always angry since,' he fell silent and Torhild studied his face for a little while. When they came on the great hall he let her loose, stood still before her.
'He killed Sigurd?' She guessed.
'Sigurd challenged him, he got angry. He drew his axe and trew it to Sigurd, right in his chest.' He pointed on his own chest, his eyes on a horse that stood besides a farmer. Torhild lifted her hand and stroke a finger over his cheek, Hvitserk looked at her and smilled a little. But she could see some sadness in his eyes.
'It's not your fault. I'm sorry for your brother Hvitserk.' She said comforting.
'I could talk him out of it, if you were here it wouldn't have happend.'
'I was not that good with Ivar.'
'Better than uss.' He grinned slowly. Torhild looked towards the beach and tried to wrap her head around it. She had knew it all that time, she knew that Ivar would kill somebody with his own anger.
'Maybe I can try and talk some sence in him.' She suggested slowly. She wasn't ready to gave up on Ivar, despite the fact she had always loved Hvitserk, Ivar pulled more loose in her than he ever could do.
'Be carefull Torhild, he is unpredictable, more than usual.' Hvitserk said softly. Torhild nodded and looked towards her brother.
'Where is Torvi?'
'Dead, just as Helga. You missed a lot Torhild.' Hvitserk replied. Her mother came outside and Torhild walked away from Hvitserk.
'I see you tonight.' She winked at him.
'You still didn't show me that fierce warrior part of you.'
'Maybe I will.' She replied. She felt his eyes in her back. Torhild turned around and looked at him. 'I really missed you Hvitserk.' She said. His smile grew bigger before he bow a little.
'My love.' He said as an goodbye. Torhild shook her head and walked the way to her mother back. Lagertha was looking at Hvitserk who jogged back to his brothers.
'What? Is he dangerous to?' Torhild asked sceptical. Lagertha looked away from Hvitserk back to her daughter and carefully shook her head.
'I like you to train with the other shieldmaidens, see what you can learn them.' She proposed. Torhild smilled and nodded right away.
'Sounds fun.' She accepted.